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I mentioned in last week’s Rock The Week post that I’d started devouring the S/S12 edition of Company High Street Edit, and now I’ve pretty much finished reading it, I thought I’d share its awesomeness with you. Almost every page has a carefully folded top corner, pointing to a piece of clothing I now covet, or a page layout that I love. This happens with none of the other magazine I read regularly.

That’s because Company’s biannual fashion offering is a delight to read and a feast for the eyes. I find that every page has something to offer me, and even if I don’t like a particular trend (I’m looking at you, peplums) I find a caption, a hairstyle, or illustration to enjoy. This collage/scrapbook style design has now been adopted by Company for it’s flagship monthly title – since the redesign three issues ago, the magazine has shifted to a more fashion-heavy publication, with gorgeous matt paper and a new compact size.

I don’t want to give too much away if you’re planning on buying a copy yourself, but this issue features some beautiful clashing florals, street style, a hilarious article on customer service by Katie Mulloy and a rye look at some surprising FROW figures.

My memory card reader is playing up and I can’t find my camera lead (because we STILL haven’t finished unpacking yet) so you’ll have to make do with a few photos taken on my mobile phone, and suped up with my Poladroid app. The fact that I’m using a computer programme and smart phone to give my photos a vintage feel has not been lost on me!

One of the reasons I love the blogsphere and the internet in general is that news, ideas and opinions get passed around like Chinese whispers; more often than not something starts out with one meaning and by the end of the game it has a totally new one.

Blogs are so subjective and as a reader one can pick and choose what pieces of information to retain, what posts to comment on and what links to click. As something of a magazine junkie it didn’t take much persuasion from a post by Disney Roller Girl to convince me to go out and buy Company High-Street Edit, the new bi-annual fashion bible from Company magazine that focuses on all the trends hitting the high street over the coming months.

I walked on by the first time I saw this title peeking out at me from the shelves of the corner shop, dismissing it as another Elle Collections, or Vogue Catwalk pull-out but if I had only flicked through the pages I would have scooped it up with my Monster Much and headed straight for the till. DRG has written a great post on the High-Street Edit so I’ll focus my attention on the design of the magazine, which I think sets it apart from its rivals.

Firstly, the choice of typeface; courier, aerial and label maker. This combination of edgy, contemporary, if slightly over used fonts with traditional sans-serif makes for a fresh, youthful look, perfect as Company is aimed at twenty-something women. The black text is offset against white backgrounds and cut out shapes of garments, key words are underlined and white boxes allow text and images to stand out against the page.

The matt, grainy paper (possibly recycled but unlikely) only adds to the concept of the magazine; this is not just a catalogue of seasonal looks from the catwalk there are interviews with top fashion bloggers, features about the wearability of the latest trends and tips on how to customise garments to update your look. Ripped edges and backgrounds of lined paper, fabric and newsprint should look cliche but don’t. Instead they turn a fashion magazine into a great piece of design.

After the recent house move I had to make difficult choices about what magazines I would keep and what, sob, I would cull so it is great to have found a title for the permanent collection. Fashion and magazines are two addictions I’m happy to have and I look forward to seeing the next issue in September. If you want to get your hands on a copy then head down to your local newsagent now!

Images are layered with ripped edges and enhanced by the juxtaposition of straight lines

Collages of text and images give the blogger interview a scrapbook feel

Pages vary from simple and graphic like the spread above, to textured and busy below